Gibson named new ABC anchor
Charles Gibsonwill take over the reins at ABC’s World News Tonight”beginning Monday, May 29.
The nightly news has had a bad run lately. First, anchor Peter Jennings left the desk after discovering he had lung cancer in April 2005. He died last August.
Bob Woodruff and Elizabeth Vargasofficially took over the anchor duties in January. Later that month, while covering the war in Iraq, Woodruff was seriously injured in an attack. He’s recovering, but won’t be returning to work in the near future. Then Vargas announced she was going to have another baby and would be out on maternity leave.
When Vargas returns, she won’t be going back to the anchor desk. Instead, she will limit herself to the “20/20” anchor desk and doing specials.
My doctors have asked that I cut back on my schedule considerably. What works best for me and my family is to return in the fall to ’20/20′ as I raise my new baby and young son,” Vargas says. “The broadcast needs someone who can give 150 percent day in and day out. I am not in a position to give that right now and it wouldn’t be fair to do any less.”
Gibson will continue as a co-anchor of “Good Morning America” until June 30.